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Key Highlights:
- The operation, named Operation Midnight Hammer, was led by US Central Command (CENTCOM).
- The B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs on Fordow, a facility buried deep inside a mountain.
- The first operational use of MOPs, each weighing 30,000 lbs, was recorded during this mission.
- A US submarine also launched over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles on Isfahan.
- Over 75 precision-guided munitions were used in total.
Why Bunker Busters?
- Fordow enrichment site is buried 80–90 metres underground, designed to withstand conventional airstrikes.
- The GBU-57 MOP can penetrate up to 200 feet underground or 25 feet of 10,000 psi concrete.
- Only the B-2 Spirit can carry these bombs, capable of stealthy, long-range missions.
About B-2 Spirit Bomber:
- World’s most advanced stealth bomber, costs over $2 billion each.
- Only 21 were built, with 19 currently in active service.
- Dual-capable: can carry both nuclear and conventional weapons.
- Can fly 6,000 miles unrefuelled; record mission: 44 hours.
- Needs high-maintenance, including temperature-controlled hangars.
Strategic Significance:
- Marks direct US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, ongoing since June 13, 2025.
- U.S. clarified the operation was not aimed at regime change, but to neutralize nuclear threats and defend allies.
-  On June 21, 2025, the United States conducted precision military strikes on Iran’s key nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, using advanced stealth bombers and bunker-busting munitions.
